To what extent did life in Hackney meet the expectations of Caribbean migrants?

To what extent did life in Hackney meet the expectations of Caribbean migrants?

Target age range: Year 5

This unit of work focuses on the experiences of Caribbean migrants who moved to Hackney through the 1950s to the 1970s. Pupils will explore a range of historical sources relating to migrant experiences of Hackney, which they will contrast with the expectations that migrants had prior to arriving in Britain. Oral history forms a key component, and pupils will have the opportunity to gather their own oral histories while developing an understanding of the importance of using more than one type of source. The resource framework can be adapted by schools looking to incorporate migration history into their own context.

This resource was written by Thomas Rous, who at the time of developing the resource was history subject lead at Hackney New Primary School, London.

Every effort has been made to trace all image copyright holders for these resources, although occasionally it has not been possible. Please contact Maheema Chanrai at maheema.chanrai@history.org.uk with any queries regarding image use or copyright.

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Why BALH?

Nick Barratt Historian and Author

Where did your ancestors live?

It is impossible to trace the history of one’s family without considering where they lived. Local history societies and one-place study groups have researched and published content that will allow you to place the lives of your ancestors in the context of their local communities, villages, towns and cities as well as some of the key socio-economic factors that lay behind their development. They often use the same sources as family historians, and can help provide an alternative interpretation of a document or suggest new resources to help your research.

Nick Barratt, Historian and Author

Meet the team

Daniella Gonzalez Trustee

Daniella Gonzalez

Daniella is a medievalist specialising in political discourse, language, and civic life in pre-modern London. She is currently developing her PhD research into a monograph while working as a Project Archivist at the University of Kent’s Special Collections & Archives and pursuing an archive qualification at Aberystwyth University. With experience in libraries and archives, she has engaged audiences with local history through workshops, digital outreach, and freelance cataloguing. A former BALH Social Media Fellow, she is passionate about making local history accessible. She is also involved with ARA, the Royal Historical Society, and the London Medieval Society.

Daniella Gonzalez, Trustee